District Wellness Policy

The Pickens County Board of Education recognizes that student wellness and proper nutrition are related to students' well-being, growth, development, and readiness to learn. The Board is committed to providing a school environment that promotes and protects student wellness, proper nutrition, nutrition education, and regular physical activity as part of the total learning experience. In a healthy school environment, students will learn about and participate in positive dietary and lifestyle practices that can improve student achievement.

To the extent practicable, all schools in the district shall participate in available federal school meal programs. All foods and beverages made available on campus during the school day shall be consistent with the requirements of federal and state law. Guidelines for reimbursable school meals shall not be less restrictive than regulations and guidance issued by the U.S. Secretary pursuant to the Child Nutrition Act and the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, as those regulations and guidance apply to schools.

The Superintendent or designee shall convene a wellness policy committee consisting of school system and community representatives from areas designated in federal law to develop such regulations as may be needed to address all state and federally required wellness components. The school district will inform the public about the content of school wellness policies and the schools' progress in meeting those goals through appropriate media, including posting such information on the district's website.

Date Adopted: 06/13/2006
Last Revised: 12/12/2013

 


Key Areas of Our Wellness Policy

Balance is essential for any wellness policy. Key areas include:

  • Nutrition education and promotion
  • Physical education and physical activity goals
  • Nutrition standards
  • Other school-based activities that are designed to promote student wellness

Information Regarding Smart Snack Rule

Nutrition Standards for All Foods Sold in Schools Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010
Food / Nutrient Standard Exemptions to the Standard
General Standard for Competitive Food To be allowable, a competitive food item must:
  1. meet all of the proposed competitive food nutrient standards; and
  2. be a grain product that contains 50% or more whole grains by weight or have whole grains as the first ingredient*; or
  3. have as the first ingredient* one of the non-grain main food groups: fruits, vegetables, dairy, or protein foods (meat, beans, poultry, seafood, eggs, nuts, seeds, etc.); or
  4. be a combination of food that contains at least 1/4 cup fruit and/or vegetable; or
  5. contain 10% of the Daily Value (DV) of a nutrient of public concern (i.e. calcium, potassium, vitamin D, or dietary fiber). Effective July 1, 2016 this criterion is obsolete and may not be used to qualify as a competitive food.

*If water is the first ingredient, the second ingredient must be one of items 2, 3 or 4 above.
  • Fresh fruits and vegetables with no added ingredients except water are exempt from all nutrient standards.
  • Canned and frozen fruits with no added ingredients except water, or are packed in 100% juice, extra light syrup, or light syrup are exempt from all nutrient standards.
  • Canned vegetables with no added ingredients except water or that contain a small amount of sugar for processing purposes to maintain the quality and structure of the vegetable are exempt from all nutrient standards.
NSLP/SBP Entrée Items Sold A la Carte Any entrée item offered as part of the lunch program or the breakfast program is exempt from all competitive food standards if it is sold as a competitive food on the day of service or the day after service in the lunch or breakfast program.  
Sugar-Free Chewing Gum Sugar-free chewing gum is exempt from all competitive food standards.  
Grain Items Acceptable grain items must include 50% or more whole grains by weight, or have whole grains as the first ingredient.  
Total Fats Acceptable food items must have <= 35% calories from total fat as served
  • Reduced fat cheese (including part-skim mozzarella).
  • Nuts and seeds and nut/seed butters
  • Products consisting of only dried fruit with nuts and/or seeds with no added nutritive sweeteners or fats
  • Seafood with no added fat

Combination products are not exempt and must meet all nutrient standards
Saturated Fat Acceptable food items must have <= 10% calories from saturated fat as served
  • Reduced fat cheese (including part-skim mozzarella)
  • Nuts and seeds and nut/seed butters.
  • Products consisting of only dried fruit with nuts and/or seeds with no added nutritive sweeteners or fats.

Combination products are not exempt and must meet all nutrient standards.
Trans Fat Zero grams of trans fat as served (<= 0.5g per portion).  
Sugar Acceptable food items must have <= 35% of weight from total sugar as served
  • Dried whole fruits or vegetables; dried whole fruit or vegetable pieces; and dehydrated fruits or vegetables with no added nutritive sweeteners.
  • Dried whole fruits, or pieces, with nutritive sweeteners that are required for processing and/or palatability purposes (i.e. cranberries, tart cherries, or blueberries).
  • Products consisting of only exempt dried fruits with nuts and/or seeds with no added nutritive sweeteners or fats.
  • Products consistent of only exempt dried fruit with nuts and/or seeds with no added nutritive sweeteners or fart.
Sodium

Snack items and side dishes sold a la carte: <= 230 mg sodium per item as served.  Effective July 1, 2016 snack items and side dishes sold a la carte must be <= 200 mg sodium per item as served, including any added accompaniments.

Entrée items sold a la carte: <= 480 mg sodium per item as served, including any added accompaniments.

  
Calories

Snack items and side dishes sold a la carte: <= 200 calories per item served, including any added accompaniments.

Entrée items sold a la carte: <= 350 calories per item as served, including any added accompaniments.

 Entrée items served as an NSLP or SBP entrée are exempt on the day of or day after service in the program meal.
Accompaniments

Use of accompaniments is limited when competitive food is sold to students in school.  The accompaniment must be included in the nutrient profile as part of the food item served and meet all proposed standards.

  
Caffeine

Elementary and middle school: foods and beverages must be caffeine-free with the exception of trace amounts of naturally occurring substances.

High School: foods and beverages may contain caffeine.

  
Beverages

Elementary School

  • Plain water or plain carbonated water (no size limit)
  • Low fat milk, unflavored (<= 8 fl oz);
  • Non fat milk, flavored or unflavored (=8 fl oz), including nutritionally equivalent milk alternatives as permitted by the school meal requirements;
  • 100% fruit/vegetables juice (=8 fl oz); and
  • 100% fruit/vegetable juice diluted with water (with or without carbonation), and no added sweeteners (=8 fl oz).

Middle School

  • Plain water or plain carbonated water (no size limit);
  • Low fat milk, unflavored (=12 fl oz);
  • Non fat milk, flavored or unflavored (=12 fl oz), including nutritionally equivalent milk alternatives as permitted by the school meal requirements;
  • 100% fruit/vegetables juice (=12 fl oz); and
  • 100% fruit/vegetable juice diluted with water (with or without carbonation), and no added sweeteners (=12 fl oz).

High School

  • Plain water or plain carbonated water (no size limit);
  • Low fat milk, unflavored (=12 fl oz);
  • Non fat milk, flavored or unflavored (=12 fl oz), including nutritionally equivalent milk alternatives as permitted by the school meal requirements;
  • 100% fruit/vegetables juice (=12 fl oz);
  • 100% fruit/vegetable juice diluted with water (with or without carbonation), and no added sweeteners (=12 fl oz);
  • Other flavored and/or carbonated beverages (=20 fl oz) that are labeled to contain =5 calories per 8 fl oz, or =10 calories per 20 fl oz; and
  • Other flavored and/or carbonated beverages (=12 fl oz) that are labeled to contain =40 calories per 8 fl oz , or =60 calories per 12 fl oz.
  

Sharing the Message of Wellness

One of our goals is to share the message of nutrition and wellness via our department's website that emphasizes the importance of nutrition AND fitness.  Our site provides information on nutrition and fitness for teachers, parents, and students as well as a variety of learning tools.